Review: Well, what can we say about this great piece of jazz fusion that hasn't already been said? The short answer is not much, but we can certainly add to the list of compliments and tell you that this is a super-clean Polypro repress, so you don't have to go out your way to listen to it PROPERLY. The man, Roy Ayers, is obviously a legend who still performs to this day, but this album must be some of his best work, and contains the cult single "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", sampled by everyone form here to Katmandu, and still a flawless song to this day. This dude is up there with the lies Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, etc etc. A stone-cold classic.

Review: Miles Davis and Marcus Miller's third and final fusion session, Amandla brought the partnership's triptych to a delightful close in 1989 with some of the most upbeat and funkiest compositions and jam sessions of the set. With Miles's trumpeteering and Marcus's iconic slap-bass going toe-to-toe on each track, the pair mischievously play chicken with each other as both hop and skip between the spotlight. The same can also be said for the devilish arrangement as we flicker from game show funk ("Jilli") to epitaph soliloquies ("Mr Pastorius") all within a tangible 80s production context. This has aged remarkably well.

Review: 12 months on from the release of Colin Baldry's impressive Ambient Jazz Ensemble debut, Suite Shop, Here & Now has decided to give that set the remix treatment. As the album's rather clunky subtitle makes clear, they've opted for a selection of revisions that touch on 'electronica, deep house and disco'. There's still plenty of variety within that remit, though. Compare, for example, the breezy liquid D&B-meets-jazz positivity of Dylan Corby's rework of "Waiting For Space", the tactile, Balearic deep house dreaminess of the Cardiac Club Remix of "Quiet Hero", and the wonderfully slow, smacked-out Curveball version of "Cinematize". Best of all, though, is Leo Zero's thrilling 'dub house goes jazz' revision of "Vibration".

Review: The legendary Blue Note revisited in the most mindboggling, refreshing way: Mark De Clive Lowe struck creative gold with this alchemic homage. Laced, spaced and placed together with studio machinery and recorded in one take, the mix deconstructs the Blue Note ethos and rebuilds it in his own widescreen, floor-focused, freeform style. From sweaty Afrofunk to slinky samba via all-out analogue warehouse dynamics, this is a truly historic mix session that lends itself perfectly to vinyl.

Review: Finnish jazz great Olli Ahventi's career was less than a decade deep when he recorded Based On A Novel at MTV-Studios in February 1981. Surrounded by some of his closest musical allies, the pianist-turned-producer laid down a range of tracks that fused his excitable, free-jazz informed playing - and similarly fluid flute and flugelhorn solos - with a range of classic and contemporary influences. Since its release, the album has become a sought-after item amongst jazz collectors, hence this timely reissue. It remains as magical as ever, with haunting numbers such as "Chorale" and "Balleta" being joined by a string of energetic, all-action compositions.

Review: Last year saw BBE call on Kev Beadle, a well respected digger, selector, radio host and label boss, to dust down his curation hat and put together Private Collection, his first compilation in almost two decades. Given the critical reception to that twelve track selection of independent jazz from the '70s and '80s it's little surprise to see BBE invite Beadle to dig through his personal archives for a second edition. Many of the tracks included here are the epitome of rare, given the fist airing outside the legendary club sessions that Beadle played back in the day and focuses more on the modal, spiritual and cosmic end of the jazz spectrum. A most enlightening collection from Mr Beadle.

Review: It doesn't seem like five years since BBE last invited London crate digger and turntablist Mr Thing to get his fingers dusty by picking out gems from his record collection for the Strange Breaks & Mr Thing series. Predictably, this belated third installment is full of killer selections that lives up to it's subtitled billing as More Rock Funk Soul Jazz & Soundtrack Breaks For Modern Living. Favourites come thick and fast though the low down funk of Dynamic Concept's "La Da Da" and the jazz-funk goodness of Harry Beckett's "Ring Within Rings" stand out upon first listen. The cats at BBE spare no expense either with this vinyl edition that features fifteen cuts spread across the two slabs, and there's also Mr Thing's peerless mix available on a CD that's slipped in too.

Review: Founded in the early '70s by karaoke's accidental inventor Irv Kratka, Inner City Records's stamp on jazz was one of the strongest during its 15 year tenure. Paying respect to traditional and fusion, it caught the world's attention and admiration in a very special way. Super-Intendant selector Kev Beadle was one of its most influential pushers on this side of the pond, so he's the perfect man to select and secure the 14 label-defining classics you hear right here. A great starting point for any Inner City starter and a well-considered, dynamic collection for collectivists, this captures a unique moment in jazz that still sparkles and pops to this day.

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